SPORTS: The Top 5 Australian Open Finalists Who Never Won.

January 18, 2023

1–2 minutes

Kevin Curran
1. Career: 339 – 234 (59.2%)
2. Grand Slam: 50-28 (64.1%)
3. Titles: 5
4. Highest Ranking: 3
5. The big serving South African had his best run at the Australian Open in 1984 to Swedish baseliner Mats Wilander in a closely contested affair. He lost 7–6(7–5), 4–6, 6–7(3–7), 2–6. Curren made one other Grand Slam finals appearance in Wimbledon, losing to Boris Becker 3–6, 7–6(7–4), 6–7(3–7), 4–6.

Milosav Mečíř
1. Career: 262-122
2. Grand Slam: 50-23
3. Titles: 11
4. Highest Ranking: 4
5. Nicknamed “The Big Cat” because of his graceful footwork and smooth playing style, Mečíř made his run to the 1989 Australian Open finals where he lost to Ivan Lendl in straight sets 6-2, 6-2, 6-2. Mečíř lost to Lendl in his only other Grand Slam finals appearance in the 1986 U.S. Open final, 6-4, 6-2, 6-0.

Michael Chang
1. Career: 662–312 (68%)
2. Grand Slam: 120 – 56 (68.2%)
3. Titles: 34
4. Highest Ranking: 2
5. It gets lost these days just how good Michael Chang was. He made it to the Australian Open finals in 1996, losing to Boris Becker 7-6(7-3), 6-0, 7-6(7-5). Famously, Chang won the 1989 French Open over serve-and-volleyer Stefan Edberg. He was also the runner-up in the 1995 French Open and 1997 U.S. Open. He has 3 Indian Wells (aka the 5th Slam) titles under his belt.

Carlos Moya
1. Career: 575 – 319 (64.3%)
2. Grand Slam: 78 – 46 (62.9%)
3. Titles: 20
4. Highest Ranking: 1
5. The Spaniard made his best Australian Open run in 1997 where he lost in the finals to Pete Sampras 6-2.6-3, 6-3. It was a great showing on hard courts for Moya. The following year, he won the French Open title, beating Àlex Corretja 6–3, 7–5, 6–3.

Lleyton Hewitt
1. Career: 616 – 262 (70.2%)
2. Grand Slam: 158 – 64 (69.8%)
3. Titles: 30
4. Highest Ranking: 1
5. That Lleyton Hewitt never won his home Grand Slam makes no sense in the world but at the same time sorta makes sense. It’s called pressure. Out of the four Slams, he performed the worst in Melbourne. In 20 years of play, Hewitt only made it past the Round of 16 once, and that was when he made it to the finals. He lost to Marat Safin 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. At his peak, Hewitt’s grind-it-out, all-court-coverage style of play was electrifying to watch.